Farmfest Dos and Don'ts

Do - Carry your state-issued ID if you plan on consuming alcohol at the Farm.

Do Not - Bring your pets. We love animals at the Farm, but out of respect for all, pets must stay home, except Molly, who lives here.

Do - Respect all others! Enjoy, don’t annoy. Please look out for each other. This includes all life forms that call the Farm home…the trees, the insects, the plant life, small creatures, birds and wildlife.

Do Not - Drink alcohol if you are underage. If you are under the age of 21, you are our future. You hold a very responsible position. We could lose everything we have started and everything you want to continue if underage drinking is present.

Do - Use the “butt cans” if you are a smoker. Butt cans are located throughout the Farm and have been painted and designed just for you! If you plan on attending other festivals, please feel free to take a butt can home with you. Take it to other festivals and help save their site too. Save your coffee cans and bring them with you next year. What a great way to recycle! Smoking is prohibited in the woods. Let Gaia be your guide.

Do Not - Run generators or amplified music. The sounds of the Farm are essential. We want to hear laughter, music, wind and birds…so please

Do Not - use generators or play CD or tape players. (If you want music, play an instrument or follow the music and listen to someone who is playing his or her instrument.)

Do - Use your own clean plates and cups when possible at food concessions. This will save on cleanup duties, reduce trash in our landfills, and help reduce the cost of supplies for our vendors.

Do Not - Burn tiki lanterns or campfires at your campsite. Campfires are only permitted on the Farm at the Fire Circle, Drum Kiva and Silo. A farmhand will maintain the flames to insure safety for all.

Do Not - Be loud after 2:00 a.m. From 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. is quiet time. Please be mindful of families sleeping and musicians and volunteers who need their rest for the next day’s activities. If you are a night person, have a great time…just have a great time quietly after 2:00 am.

Do - Leave the Farm by 1:00 a.m. if you have a day pass. If you would like to upgrade your day pass so you can stay the evening, volunteers will assist you. Cars that remain in daytime parking may be towed…and that would be a bummer for you and for the volunteer who has to call the tow truck company. (The tow truck company might get off on it, however. I guess there is always a bright side.)

Do Not - Leave your coolers unattended. We have never had a problem with this, maybe because we are a small festival and the spirit of respect is all around us. Better safe than sorry.

Do - Visit “Vendor Village”! There are many wonderful hand crafted items and special services for your shopping pleasure.

Do Not - Let anger come into your heart. Breathe…relax…and know that if it doesn’t matter 200 years from now, it is not worth giving your valuable energy.

Do - Recycle! We have placed recycle stations throughout the property for your convenience.

Do Not - Allow your children to run or play in the labyrinth. The labyrinth is sacred ground. Walk the labyrinth with your children. Teach them the way of the labyrinth so they may walk in the light on their own. Once we are aware of its purpose: playing, dancing, praying, meditating, singing, drumming, anything is welcome.

Do - Purchase and wear your festive clothing. We ask that you please NOT wear that nowpopular clothing line that has “SECURITY” printed on it.

Do Not - Bring your own golf carts UNLESS you plan on volunteering for a Courtesy Cart Transport job. Personal use is not allowed, but if you want to help with getting the elderly and handicapped and musicians from point A to point B...BRING THEM PLEASE.

Do - Watch out for the little ones. Be safe. Respect the land. Love each other.

No Fires, Please

As a safety precaution, please do not have open fires anywhere but in designated locations.

Trash & Recycling

We ask that you take your trash with you when you leave. We have developed a dandy little “TRASH & RECYCLING’ station located at the dumpsters. We will take your recycling…Glass, Burnable, Plastic and returnable bottles and cans. Just stop by on your way out and follow the easy sorting instructions.

OUR VENUE:

The Farmfest venue is located on a 110 yr old 40-acre homestead farm that has been transformed into a beautiful northern Michigan festival sited a short distance east of the small rural town of Johannesburg. It literally sits on the 45th parallel and the meridian of the earth. The land is mostly wooded with beautiful walking trails that wind through rolling terrain some cleared and some old growth hardwood.

A natural amphitheater serves the main stage and has the best sound on the planet! Walk the labyrinth, set up your chairs and blankets or hang a hammock from the trees. Whatever you choose, get ready for some down-home, talented artists. The main stage music starts on Friday evening at 5:00 pm and ends on Sunday night at 11:00 pm.

Arts and crafts vendors border the amphitheater and are peppered throughout a grove of blue spruce pines. You'll find quilts and jewelry, drums and soap, leather and tie-dye clothing, paintings and pottery and lots more goodies you will want to take home with you. You will also find some happy friendly folks...our vendors are pretty special.

The kids area is a hot spot these days. Lots of activities and fun is to had by all at the kids area. Talent show, sand castles, playground equipment, face painting, crafts, open mic-less stage, instrument making, big hay bale climbing and much much more. If you are a kid...you won't be bored and you won't have any TV or video games either.

In the woods you will find 2nd stage. This is an open stage. Just sign up and play. Better get there early because the sign up situation is a first come thing. Some of the best music has been born on this stage over the years. It's a magical place. You'll also find the fire circle where jam sessions, workshops and storytelling take place in abound. Deeper into the woods is the drum kiva. The kiva is a popular place for the wild and earthy ones with drums. If you don't have a drum, you will want to go and experience the sound. It is mesmerizing.

Most festival attendees spend the entire weekend at the farm. RVs and tents fill the large meadow and many camp in the woods south of the meadow. There are many who simply come for one day or commute from local hotels or cabins. It's up to you. Anyway, anyhow you choose you will have a great time.

Many performing groups also camp the entire weekend and love to jam. Impromptu bands form and re-form throughout the weekend. Musical magic happens at campground pickin' parties. Just walk right up and sit right down. All campground jam sessions are open for all to enjoy. Farmfest limits the number of attendees to 2000. Because of it's small size this festival is safe for the youngsters and user friendly for the elderly while maintaining that old style feeling of festivals of the past. Handicap camping is available with golf cart courtesy and helper folks at your service.